Upvote:2
Your A-2 visa is intended solely for official business. It is issued to government officials, employees and military members who will travel to the United States to work for their own government (and their immediate family members). Your purpose of travel must be on behalf of your government (or an immediate family member joining such a person).
Officials and Employees Requiring A-2 Visas - Examples:
- Full-time employee assigned by that government, coming only to work at a foreign embassy or consulate in the United States, to perform duties which take place at an embassy
- Government official representing your government, coming to the United States based on written request of your country to perform official, government related duties
- Foreign military members stationed at a U.S. military base or assigned to a foreign embassy or consulate in the United States
- Staff of European (EU) and African Union (AU) delegation representatives
- Immediate family members of an A-2 visa holder
It is not permitted to use the A-2 visa for non-official purposes. If you want to engage in personal travel to the US, you also need a different visa (and should use your ordinary passport instead of official passport, if applicable).
Travel Purposes Not Permitted on A-1 and A-2 Visas - Examples:
- Government officials coming to perform non-official or non-governmental functions of a commercial nature, or traveling as tourists, must apply for the appropriate visa category for the specific travel purpose, such as a B-2 visa for tourism. (Note: A Head of State or Government must travel on an A-1 visa regardless of the purpose of travel.)
- Local government officials representing their state, province, borough, or other local political entity require visitor (B) visas.